A group of people took a tour of Waukesha the other day and heard presentations about the water situation there from a wide variety of speakers.
WUWM tagged along, and the reporter's text and audio are here.
One note: I'd disagree with the segment's intro that describes the Waukesha water situation as "acute." If it were, regulators a couple of years ago wouldn't have given Waukesha until June, 2018 to fully resolve the situation.
For now, and for years to come, Waukesha has plenty of water and the means to clean it.
"I'd disagree with the segment's intro that describe the Waukesha water situation as 'acute.' If it were, regulators a couple of years ago wouldn't have given Waukesha until June, 2018 to fully resolve the situation."
ReplyDeleteTrue that. Situation not acute. Radium problems leveraged by manipulators at water utility, county, developers and county chamber into "long-term supply problems." Scaring the residents into spending $165 million and up. Developers will benefit, current residents will pay through the nose with water rates expected to increase 50%. To say nothing of the long-term debt obligation handed down to future generations --thanks Mom and Dad!
Fact: There is enough water to meet Waukesha's needs at current use, and then some. A million or two dollars are needed to bring city water into radium compliance all 12 mos of the year (compliance is being met 11 mos of year now), making the DNR's 2018 deadline with about 6 years to spare.
Fact: Commercial customers of the water utility have not been subject to the 18% rate increase of 2007 or the 15% rate increase of 2009 (yes, another hefty increase and so soon!).
Fact: Commercial customers of the water utility have not been subject to the water conservation pricing structure which increases unit costs the more the resident uses. Commercial customers are still on the rate structure where they pay LESS per unit the more they use.
The current situation at the water utility is a gravy train for outside consultants and carpetbaggers of all stripes and zip codes, including:
Facts: Martin Schreiber and Associates lobbying and PR firm, Barbour and Associates, a Washington DC lobbying firm, CH2M Hill engineers Milwaukee), Geosyntec (Chicago) consulting, and countless law firms including Reinhart Boerner Van Duren, Godfrey and Kahn, both of Milwaukee, and the Madison law firm employing Attorney Lori Kobzda, well-known for her vocal opposition to the Great Lakes Compact, and developers too numerous to name. Not to mention the engineering firm of Ruekert and Mielke, salivating in the wings. Don't be surprised if R & M "lands" a good-sized chunk of the $165 million for construction of the pipelines to and from Milwaukee if the application is approved.
The only aspects of the application and process truly "transparent" are 1. the money trail to consultants and resulting backwash to the Water Utility and city that a Lake Michigan diversion is the only solution; 2. a Lake Michigan diversion was the only choice from the get-go; and 3. the million$ of rea$on$ why consultant$, developer$ and government bodie$ have independently concluded that a Lake Michigan diversion is the be$t, one right and true way to $olve a minor radium i$$ue.
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